Central Hudson's outage map

Central Hudson has a very handy map with outages that you cannot look at if you have not power. That's why we have neighbors and smartphones.
The map also includes information about dry ice and water distribution. It's essential Read more »

Local live cams tracking Hurricane Irene's impact

Report your Hurricane Irene-related issues with SeeClickFIx

I made this SeeClickFix widget for easier access to report issues. A reported a tree down in front of my house some hours after I posted this. A neighbor then posted that the power cable was hanging from another tree.
JOY!Read more »

Journalism at Social Media

I was a speaker at the #140confHV, the 140-character conference at the Seven21 Media Center in Kingston today. I met many of the tweeps that I follow, in person, and it was an overall enjoying and enlightening experience.
My talk focused on Journalism and Social Media (and yes, I grab my hair a lot when I'm nervous and I say "uh").

Here are the slides. I'll post the transcript later because I know nobody understands a word I say.

Touring Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood home

The Freeman Sessions with Stella May returns on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the home of Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood home, Oak Terrace, in Clermont in Columbia County.

I toured the First Lady's 1872 home to test the connection, as the property is fairly isolated.

Here's my creepy tour of the property.

As for the event, "Dinner at Eleanor’s: A Moveable Feast," is being presented by Green Peas TV to benefit The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill and ARCS, AIDS-Related Community Services.

Four of the Hudson Valley’s top chefs; a third-generation Hudson Valley farmer; a chocolatier from the Berkshires; the owner of Clinton Vineyards and Winery; and a foodie filmmaker are converging at the spooky location for historic cocktails, a five-course harvest feast, dessert wine and chocolate pairings, and an exclusive historic house tour, at 794 Woods Road in Tivoli.

"Dinner at Eleanor’s: A Moveable Feast" will celebrate the relationship between the Roosevelt and Morgenthau families. Henry Morgenthau, Jr., was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and governor of the Federal Farm Board during the administration of Frankiily D. Roosevelt.

The event is a fundraiser that has been organized and produced by filmmaker Jane Watson, founder of Green Peas TV, to benefit The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill and ARCS, AIDS-Related Community Services. It will be filmed as the next episode of greenpeastv.com and will also be streamed live at dailyfreeman.com as part of the Freeman Sessions with Stella May.

Admission is $125 per person. Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance; there will be no on-site ticket sales the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased online at www.arcs.org/dinnerateleanors.php or by mailing a check to ARCS, Public Relations Office, 40 Saw Mill River Road, Hawthorne, NY 10532.

This post was written because many of you, in the comments and as the issue was developing, brought to our attention details that might have been overshadowed by the larger topic. Pat in the back, all around.

JRC Chat on online initiatives

Today we are talking about successful (and not-so successful) online initiatives that newsrooms can steal replicate. What's worked recently, what hasn't, what we're struggling with and hopefully a surprise or two.

'True Blood,' 3-year-olds don't mix

I'm pretty sure this has happened to everyone.

Say, for example, that it's Sunday at 9 p.m. and you want to watch "True Blood" or any other similar show that contains plenty of sex, violence, more sex, more violence, curse words, mayhem and all those other great entertaining things that would undoubtedly traumatize and/or influence a 3-year-old if she were to watch it. Say also that you have a 3-year-old.

Some time after putting her to bed, you grab a slice of pizza and turn on the television.

As the sex violence and mayhem begin to materialize onscreen, you hear some strange things around you.

Inevitably, and before you can say or do anything, the child will turn toward the television, just as much sex, violence and mayhem begins to take place.

In a panic, you pause the show (turning the television would make more sense, but remember, you are in a panic and must act in a nonsensical panicky mode).

When pausing "True Blood," there are only three things that can happen on the screen.

1. There is naked sexy time going on; or
2. There is a ridiculously violent death going on; or
3. There is naked sexy time while there is a ridiculously violent death going on.

After witnessing such occurrence, there are only three things that can happen to a child.

1. She will be traumatized for life and you'll be named Worst Parent of the World by Worst Parent of the World Magazine.
2. She will giggle and mimic what happens on the screen and you'll be named Worst Parent of the World by Worst Parent of the World Magazine.
3. She will be indifferent while you are the one traumatized thinking that she will be traumatized or mimic what she's seen.

She will also grab a slice of pizza and will like you to tell her a story. Tell her about the time you won Worst Parent of the World by Worst Parent of the World Magazine.

If you want to chime in, just post a tweet with the hashtag "#jrcchat" so it can automatically appear below, or post a comment in the field at the bottom of the chat box.
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=f603fcba61" &amp;amp;gt;JRC Chat tackles new tools, Idealab accomplishments&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Mid-Hudson Valley Election Page

I've been asked many times about having a place with all the contact information from all the candidates for the upcoming election. And although we do have a page in our site dedicated to this year's election, it doesn't contain the basic information from the candidates.

So I decided to create a Facebook page for the candidates in the Mid-Hudson Valley (full disclosure, I stole this idea from the Journal Register Company idealab).

Basically, the page will Like all the candidates pages, as to become a hub for primary sources of information. It is in its early stagesright now and I'd like your help adding your candidate to the roster.

And feel free to add a website or email or phone number for your candidates. This is your page, so do with it what you'd like to do. I'll be adding more pages and sites to the list myself.